Tag Archives: William Hait

Research!America’s National Health Research Forum — held September 12 at the Newseum’s Knight Conference Center in Washington, DC — examined the current and future state of research to improve health. This year’s theme was “Straight Talk about the Future of Medical and Health Research.” Three expert panels delved into different aspects of the research ecosystem.

Research!America’s president and CEO, Mary Woolley, and chair, The Honorable John Edward Porter, opened the program. Porter introduced Bart Peterson, JD, senior vice president of corporate affairs and communications at Lilly who delivered a brief keynote speech.

“We developed an innovation ecosystem, and that ecosystem requires sound public policy. From the private sector perspective, that includes solid intellectual property protection; a fair, rigorous, transparent regulatory system; a market system of health care delivery and pricing that offers choice for patients and health care providers,” Peterson said. “But the public sector has a role far beyond just producing sound public policy … Public funding for research, which is so threatened today, is absolutely critical to the future and we care about that as much from the private sector perspective as anybody else does.”

The first panel, focusing on biomedical research and development, was moderated by journalist Eleanor Clift of Newsweek and the Daily Beast and featured John Crowley, president and CEO of Amicus Therapeutics and a patient advocate; William Hait, MD, PhD, global head of R&D at Janssen Pharmaceuticals; Margaret Hamburg, MD, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA); and Peterson. The discussion centered on innovation within the pharmaceutical industry and the relationship between companies and regulators. Continue reading →

William N. Hait, MD, PhD, global head, Janssen Research & Development, LLC, part of theJanssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, has been elected to the Board of Directors of Research!America, the nation’s largest nonprofit advocacy alliance working to make research to improve health a higher national priority. Research!America advocates for federal funding and a legislative and regulatory climate that supports the entire research ecosystem, ranging from basic research to industry research and development.

“I am very honored to be elected to serve on the Research!America Board of Directors,” Dr. Hait said. “Innovation and scientific research are critical to developing new solutions for serious unmet health care needs, and organizations like Research!America are essential in ensuring that medical innovation continues to be a priority for our society.” Continue reading →